Is it practical or advisable to magna-port a Remington 700 ADL?

[Huntbear]

Muzzle Brake, the only way to go.  You just will have to maybe use a bit more ear protection, depending on the type you get installed.

The one I put on my brother's rifle took his .338 wm down to about the same recoil as a .308.

[JimmyHoffa]

I guess my first question is how well does the rifle fit you?  Reason being is I have a few Rem 700s and the stocks are too short for me, actually every gun, but one seems to be a bit short by a couple of inches.  So instead of being able to hold them correctly, it is either loose on the shoulder (more recoil) or wedged up between shoulder and bicep.  In the one case it is also an '06 and produces more felt recoil to me than it should.  On another, a .300 RUM, the stock makes my trigger hand be positioned too high up so I get the big knuckle on the back of my thumb everytime (and usually a cut lip).  So a limbsaver or something like it that lengthens the stock may make the rifle more comfortable to shoot than a brake or porting.

[sakoshooter]

First off, does this gun have it's factory installed recoil pad on it? If so, I'd replace it with a Pachmyer Decelerator or Limbsaver. Night and Day from your factory pad.

[ivarhusa]

Thanks for the good advice from y'all.  It hadn't occurred to me that a 40 year-old recoil pad could stiffen up.  I am sure it has. 

I guess my first question is how well does the rifle fit you?

I just checked the fit, and length of pull is about right, so I don't think I need to tinker with that. I had shortened the wood when I installed the recoil pad, keeping the original length of pull.  As a medium-frame guy (5'8"), it seems about right.

The suggestion of using 125 gr pills will be taken, that being the greatest contributor to reduced recoil of any of these strategies (I think).

My path will be to get the LimbSaver on, and load up some more 125gr pills, and see how that feels. Leave the Magna-port or other muzzle brake as a last resort.  There is some sentiment in this piece, as it was my first high-power rifle, purchased when I was in high school. (I must confess that I have not made much progress, as now 40 years later I only own two high power rifles.     )

[bobcat]

The 125 grain bullets is a good idea, and that really will reduce recoil substantially, especially if you also use a fast burning powder which will require less powder. The weight of your powder charge also has an affect on recoil. If you can use 10 grains less of a particular powder, that is the same as dropping your bullet weight by 10 grains. As you said, the 125's won't necessarily be a good bullet for game bigger than deer, but what you could try in that case is a 130 grain Barnes bullet. That lighter weight bullet along with a moderate charge of a relatively fast burning powder will have that 30-06 recoiling less than a 25-06 and will still be just fine for elk as long as you keep your shots less than about 300 yards.

[FC]

Try the Limbsaver before altering the load, you really will be amazed. $35 may seem like a lot for a recoil pad but you will find it well worth it. It will make that 30 06 feel like a 243.

[ivarhusa]

Bobcat,  your suggestion that powder weight adds to the apparent 'bullet weight' is right on!  I hadn't remembered that. (Trained as an engineer, I knew it.)

I was about to make a joke about "How many grains of Unique?" and chose to Google before I spoke.  It turns out a few people have been using it in the big case.  Still, it doesn't seem like too great an idea. Unique would leave a pretty empty case.

Looking at a few more links on downloads for the '06, I see that IMR 4759 is recommended as a fast bulky powder.

I haven't found a specific load for 125gr pill with 4759, but observe that one web site reports 25grs were used behind a 165 gr projectile.  That suggests that a combined projectile+powder weight of 150gr is possible.  That compares with my current load of 165+51=216gr.  That is a 30% reduction in mass, which is significant.

[bobcat]

Hodgdon also recommends their H4895 for reduced loads:  http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Youth%20Loads.pdf

[ivarhusa]

Hodgdon also recommends their H4895 for reduced loads:  http://www.hodgdon.com/PDF/Youth%20Loads.pdf

That's good to know, as I have that powder in the house.